Ok, I thought you meant the coated lifeline type. I've seen those plastic covers on a few boats, and they should be fine provided they are removed and the wire flushed every so often.
Your idea of measuring the rod aloft is a good one, although the estimate you are using is probably close enough, provided you are not above 80% of the recommended maximum for the boat (or the wire). I'm not familiar with the mast on the 32, but if it's like most of the later models, it's probably more flexible than the mast on my 35mk2, which doesn't seem to bend much at all. I've helped step & unstep several masts at our club lately, and I noted that our mast showed by far the least amount of flex (and the most weight) of any of them - when hanging horizontally from the crane, with the strap just below the spreaders, with the spreaders pointing up/down, there was very little bend, and this is the weakest dimension. So I can imagine that my attempts to induce bend are mostly futile, and I am simply straightening the forestay(s) for going upwind. In my case, with a non-factory dual forestay setup, this is made more difficult. The inner forestay is attached at the upper shroud bracket, so only a few feet below the masthead. It's a Hyde Streamstay solid rod forestay, so probably doesn't stretch much. It will be interesting to see how it does once I get the mast back in, now that my hydraulics will hold pressure to >2500psi. I left it at 1500psi compressing a section of steel pipe for several days, and it didn't move, except for changes due to temperature (which were quite a lot!) I'm not sure there was actually anything wrong with my hydraulics (a shop replaced the small piston seal), since I have determined that it now reaches the limit of the stroke at around 800psi. I plan to either replace the backstay, or shorten the two SS bar extensions that are in place so that I can get to ~2000psi without running out of stroke. I suspect that 1" or so will be enough. My HydraTech adjuster only has about 3.5" of travel - probably not enough for a bendy mast, but presumably enough for mine. It also does not extend the piston easily - I understand some are spring loaded for release - so when testing on the bench, I need to apply a LOT of force to pull the piston back out - several hundred pounds at least. This could indicate a problem, so I may also be on the lookout for a suitable turnbuckle as a backup. I've had no luck finding any information on the HydraTech unit I have. -- Shawn Wright shawngwri...@gmail.com S/V Callisto, 1974 C&C 35 https://www.facebook.com/SVCallisto On Mon, Apr 19, 2021 at 6:38 AM Robert Abbott <robertabb...@eastlink.ca> wrote: > The plastic over the wire is not a permanent/factory installation....the > boat's original owner must have decided to put them on for some > reason....maybe to reduce chafing on the bimini...you can buy these > coverings by the foot at most yacht shops...you just pry them open to > fit on and off. He also put a piece on the babystay. > > The plastic coating(s) were removed few years back when I had a North > rigger inspect the standing rigging...no signs of corrosion anywhere on > the rigging....they can be removed and put on easily as they are split. > > The backstay is #8 Navtec rod but the split is too high above the > cockpit to measure with the Loos RT10.... so I measure the two wire(s) > tension....I adjust the turnbuckles until the gauge reads approx. 500 > lbs. each and assume that means approx. 1000 lbs on the single rod. > > It probably doesn't work that way but that's the way I have been doing > it for 15 years and the rig hasn't come down yet. > > Maybe I should tension the rig and get hoisted to measure the SS rod > ....and when it is showing 1000 lbs without any added tension from the > adjuster, measure the two wires (without the plastic wrap). > > Advice? > > Rob Abbott > AZURA > C&C 32 - #277 > Halifax, N.S. > > On 2021-04-18 10:44 p.m., Shawn Wright via CnC-List wrote: > > Not sure about your question, but the plastic coated wire for a > > backstay would scare me... Be sure to check for corrosion. > > My 35mk2 manual states 2200psi i believe as the maximum pressure, and > > there is a chart which shows what tension this equates to. HydraTech > > tensioner, made in Vancouver. Mine is now holding pressure again, but > > I have no mast to attach it to at the moment... > > > >
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